Mosto

Ingredients

Cane

• 3 kgfresh sugarcane stalks

To finish

• juice of 2 limes
• plenty of ice

Equipment

• a hand-cranked cane mill, or a heavy masticating juicer
• a fine sieve or cloth

Note

• this is raw juice and must be drunk fresh

Directions

1. Wash the cane properly, press it on a clean mill, and drink it fresh. Choose stalks that are firm and heavy.
2. Cut the stalks into lengths of about thirty centimetres. Strip the hard outer rind off with a heavy knife.
3. Work away from yourself, since the rind is tough and the knife can slip. Cut on a stable board rather than in your hand.
4. Cut the peeled cane into batons that fit your mill. A strong masticating juicer will do it if you chop the cane small.
5. Pour the juice through a fine sieve or a cloth. The juice should be pale grey-green and cloudy. Squeeze the lime juice into the strained cane juice. Stir it through the cane juice.
6. Taste it and add more lime if it is heavy. Serving it must be immediate and very cold. Pour it over plenty of ice into tall glasses.
7. Serve it out to people straight away. Cane juice darkens and sours within an hour at room temperature.

Technique

• Scrub the cane hard and drink it fresh, since oral Chagas transmission through cane juice is documented.
• Lime is structural rather than optional, as plain cane juice is cloying.
• It darkens and sours within an hour at room temperature.

Substitutions

• A strong masticating juicer in place of a cane mill.
• Bottled cane juice, though it is heat-treated and tastes flatter.

Variations

• With ginger pressed through with the cane.
• Blended with pineapple.
• Served alongside chipa, as at the market stalls.

History

Pressed on the spot in hand-cranked mills at Asuncion’s markets and roadsides, often finished with a squeeze of lime.

Frequently asked questions

What is Mosto?

Mosto is a drink from Paraguay: fresh-pressed sugarcane juice served ice cold from street carts. Pressed on the spot in hand-cranked mills at Asuncion’s markets and roadsides, often finished with a squeeze of lime.

How long does Mosto take to make?

Mosto takes 20 min of preparation and none of cooking. The recipe makes 1 litre. It is rated easy to make.

What can I substitute in Mosto?

Yes, within limits. A strong masticating juicer in place of a cane mill. Bottled cane juice, though it is heat-treated and tastes flatter.

What is the most important thing to get right in Mosto?

Work away from yourself, since the rind is tough and the knife can slip. Cut on a stable board rather than in your hand.